Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Art About Town: San Francisco

"Anyone who says you can't see a thought, simply doesn't know art."

-Kojiro Tomito

I love this sculpture. It is titled, "Yin & Yang," and it sits at Justin Herman Plaza, along the Embarcadero, in San Francisco. The first time I saw it, I was in a moving car, on my way to the Bay Bridge. It wasn't very practical to go back and take a longer look at what I thought I saw, which was two disembodied heads, resting near the fountain at the plaza. That's not something you see everyday...now is it?

The eggheads are reproductions of artist, Robert Arneson's, eggheads, "Yin & Yang," which he created for the University of California at Davis. A native of Benicia, California, Arneson taught ceramics at U.C. Davis from 1962 to 1991. His egghead series were placed in different locations around the college campus. The original "Yin & Yang," sit outside the campus's Fine Arts department. Robert Arneson created many other powerful pieces, such as, "General Nuke," which is another in his head series, and is a statement on the escalating tensions of the cold war. While "Yin & Yang" have an almost whimsical quality to them, General Nuke reflects the artist's darker period. He passed away in 1992, from liver cancer.

One of the things I like to do, when I am out with my camera, it to practice taking photos while riding in the car. I have managed to get some interesting shots that way, a few I want to share here over the next few weeks. I like the way everything surrounding my subjects comes out just so normal. There is a lot of motion surrounding the subject...and it is all much more candid then if I tried to take the time to set everything up. I don't know, it's just a personal experiment I am trying, in an effort to broaden my horizons as a photographer. I could use some feedback on these entries. Please...feel free to let me know what you think. :) I also want to know what you see when you look at "Yin & Yang"...what comes to mind?

-OndineMonet
"Yin & Yang"
Justin Herman Plaza
San Francisco, California
May 14, 2006
Afternoon

3 comments:

Celeste said...

Actually I thought the tree trunk was more interesting. I could see a whole person in it praying or clasping their hands.

Charley said...

I see anger and helplessness. I see the relentless march of progress trampling over nature and realize that at the same time such a march is fruitless and doomed to failure.

Great shot.

Be well,
Charley
http://journals.aol.com/cdittric77/courage

V said...

"Anyone who says you can't see a thought, simply doesn't know art."

-Kojiro Tomito

I love the time you put in to match quotes & your own beautiful work!

Hugs